Indiana Quarterback Room Set For Spring Football With Addition of Tayven Jackson
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Tom Allen made a splash in the transfer portal on Jan. 15 when former Tennessee quarterback Tayven Jackson announced his commitment to Indiana.
It was a natural fit for Jackson and Allen, who've had a strong relationship dating back to Jackson's early high school years at Center Grove in Greenwood, Ind.
"We had a scheduled time." Allen said. "He called me every Sunday afternoon, and loved those talks we had together."
Indiana ultimately missed out on Jackson the first time, as the four-star, top-200 recruit chose Tennessee over some of the top programs throughout the country. He played sparingly as a freshman and entered the transfer portal after one season, and his second recruitment to Indiana happened quickly.
Allen and Jackson attended an Indiana basketball game together on Jan. 14 to watch Jackson's older brother, star forward Trayce Jackson-Davis, and the Hoosiers take down Wisconsin. Jackson officially became a Hoosier the following day.
Tennessee quarterback Tayven Jackson (10) throws a pass during the first spring practice at University of Tennessee, Tuesday, March 22, 2022.
Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
It was an especially important recruiting trip for Allen, who was surrounded by quarterback questions following a 4-8 campaign in 2022. Former Indiana signal callers Connor Bazelak, Jack Tuttle and Grant Gremel entered the transfer portal, leaving three scholarship quarterbacks on the 2023 roster. Will Indiana search through the portal for another veteran? What was Dexter Williams' status after a scary knee injury on Nov. 26? Will Indiana ride the quarterback carousel for a third consecutive season?
Allen said on Sunday that Williams' initial diagnosis was a 12-month recovery that would keep him out the entire 2023 season. The team released a statement in November that Williams suffered a knee dislocation with significant structural damage to his knee.
"He and I have already met, and he's like, 'Coach, whatever I can do I'm going to help this team win, whether that's on the field, off the field, whatever,'" Allen said. "He's that kind of guy, and this team is really important to him and he wants to see us be great. Whatever it looks like, he's going to be attacking it every single day, and I know that will be the case, and I believe when his body is ready, then he'll get a chance to get back out there."
After Williams' injury, Allen's initial goal was to bring in an older quarterback, but plans changed course last week. Based on Allen's press conference on Jan. 22, Indiana is set at quarterback for the time being.
"It sounds great, being able to bring an older guy in to do all of that, but not sure how that's going to play itself out. Don't have plans to do that right now," Allen said. "We're going to go through spring football right now and then reevaluate at that point, but we will not be adding anybody else to our team before spring football at any position."
That means Indiana is rolling into spring football, which begins on March 4, with four scholarship quarterbacks: Jackson, Williams, Brendan Sorsby and Broc Lowry.
A potential downside to Indiana's quarterback room is a lack of experience. Sorsby's only collegiate reps came as a true freshman in 2022 when he completed 3-of-6 passes for eight yards and an interception. He was a three-star recruit and the No. 66 quarterback in the class of 2022 out of Lake Dallas High School in Texas. Lowry joins the Hoosiers as a three-star recruit and the No. 51 quarterback out of Canfield High School in Ohio.
In his freshman season at Tennessee, Jackson completed 3-of-4 passes for 37 yards with four rushes for 10 yards and a touchdown. He's still an unproven commodity as a college quarterback, but clearly has talent as a two-time state champion and Center Grove's all-time leading passer.
Allen was intrigued by Jackson's athleticism as a football, basketball and track athlete in high school. From his relationship with Jackson and the Center Grove coaching staff, Allen also considers Jackson a "tremendous leader" and someone who fits Indiana's culture.
The offseason began with plenty of uncertainty, but it sounds like Allen found his guy.
"The confidence and the swagger that he brings to a room when he walks in there, those are things you're looking for in a quarterback," Allen said. "The accuracy piece, the ability to throw the football and run the football. He's had dual effectiveness in high school and then you saw that even this past year playing the time that he played at Tennessee. To be able to bring a young man of that caliber is very, very important."
Related stories on Indiana football
- TAYVEN JACKSON TRANSFERS TO INDIANA: Former Tennessee quarterback Tayven Jackson is returning to his home state to play for Tom Allen and the Indiana Hoosiers. Jackson, a former four-star recruit, won two state championships at Center Grove High School and is the younger brother of Indiana basketball star Trayce Jackson-Davis. CLICK HERE
- INDIANA FOOTBALL TRANSFER PORTAL TRACKER: In our Indiana football transfer portal tracker, you can find a complete list of Hoosiers that have entered the transfer portal, declared for the NFL Draft, exhausted their collegiate eligibility and players that are transferring to Indiana for the 2023 season. We will frequently update this list throughout the offseason. CLICK HERE
- 2023 RECRUITING CLASS: Indiana signed 16 players during the early signing period on Dec. 21, including 11 high school players and 5 collegiate transfers. Here's a full breakdown of each player, complete with quotes from coach Tom Allen. CLICK HERE
